The Democratic Public Sphere

The public sphere is generally considered to be the central nervous system of democracy.This is where society’s political opinion formation takes place and where elected politicians are expected to explain and legitimize their administration of power to the citizens.

Today, however, the public sphere appears to be challenged in various ways by phenomena like spin, professionalization of politics, commercialization of media, inequality with regard to participation etc.Furthermore, important political decisions are often made in contexts that are closed to the general public – e.g. professional networks, global enterprises, the EU system.

This collective project will conduct a multifaceted, interdisciplinary analysis with the aim of mapping the nature and scope of these challenges. Subsequently, the project will consider possible models for strengthening the public sphere as a factor in the process of political decision-making.